lay waste to vs ruin

lay waste to is not a noun while ruin is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
lay waste to	No	No	Yes	No
ruin	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, ruin is a hypernym of lay waste to; that is, ruin is a word with a broader meaning than lay waste to:

Other hypernyms of lay waste to include destroy.

As verbs, ruin is a hyponym of lay waste to; that is, ruin is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than lay waste to:

lay waste to (noun)	ruin (noun)
	destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
	a ruined building
	an event that results in destruction
	failure that results in a loss of position or reputation
	the process of becoming dilapidated
	an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

lay waste to (verb)	ruin (verb)
cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly	fall into ruin
	destroy completely; damage irreparably
	reduce to ruins
	deprive of virginity
	reduce to bankruptcy
	destroy or cause to fail